


Summer of Seven

by moretrash



Category: The Umbrella Academy (TV)
Genre: But they're helping each other with them, Day At The Beach, Do Not Make it So, Fluff, Good Sister Allison Hargreeves, Good Sister Vanya Hargreeves, Humor, Hurt/Comfort, Not Incest, Number Five | The Boy Has Issues, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Panic Attacks, Reginald is mentioned but never a character, They all have issues tbh, its in chapter 2, tagging that just in case
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-07
Updated: 2019-06-16
Packaged: 2020-04-12 12:07:25
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 7,953
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19131709
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/moretrash/pseuds/moretrash
Summary: 30 days of The Umbrella Academy drabbles varying in length for Summer of Seven 2019.





	1. Banana Boat Sunscreen

**Author's Note:**

> These may not be good interpretations of the prompts and I'm warning y'all of that right now.

Five was enjoying his first ever visit to the beach. Klaus had declared that Five never having visited a beach was a tragedy, and had insisted on a family trip.

And now here they were, the soft, sun-warmed sand between his toes and the sun warming his skin. Luther and Diego were putting up an umbrella, Diego clad in black swim trunks and Luther in grey swim trunks and a similar grey long-sleeved swim shirt; Luther was still insecure about his new body no matter how much his siblings insisted that he didn’t have to be.

Allison and Vanya were laying out towels for them all. Allison was wearing a dark blue high-waisted bikini that had silver glitter detailing, while Vanya was wearing a forest green one-piece swimsuit. Klaus was putting on sunscreen, clad in a tiger-print speedo because of course that was something Klaus owned. Five didn't know why he expected anything different from his brother considering his wardrobe on a normal day.

“Hey, Five, you mind helping me reach my back with my sunscreen? I burn quicker than a piece of paper in a forest fire.” Klaus said, holding out the bottle of sunscreen to his brother. He didn't bother making Ben solid for the time being, because he didn't want his brother to miss out on the fun because Klaus made him solid while they were still setting up and got tired before they were even in the water. Five shrugged and poured a bit out onto his hands, massaging it into Klaus’ back. “Thank you, brother dearest! You want me to put some on you? You always burned easily when we were kids.” Klaus said. Five hissed at him and jumped just out of arm’s reach of his brother.

Five had always hated the way sunscreen felt on his skin. He had always fought Grace on putting it on during hot summer days spent outside, but she always rewarded him with a glass of sweet lemonade afterwards. 

It felt sticky and all-around wrong for him, as did lotion. The moment Klaus had heard that Five hadn't used lotion since he was 12, he had pinned his brother down and made him moisturize for once in his life. 

“Allison! Work your mom magic and get some sunscreen onto our baby brother!” Klaus called. Allison looked over and shook her head fondly, grabbing Five’s wrist and holding him in place.

“Five, come on. What’s worse: a little bit of sunscreen or a painful sunburn? Remember when we were ten and you got a sunburn so bad you couldn't lay down on your back for two weeks?” Allison asked, putting some sunscreen onto her hands and starting to massage it into Five’s arms. Five hissed and tried to squirm out of her grip. He couldn’t jump when he was being touched, as it would jump the other person and drain his energy, a fact that he hated more than anything in that moment.

After arms, Allison gently massaged the sunscreen into Five’s chest and abdomen, moving on to his lower legs as his thighs were covered by navy blue swim trunks.

If the fighting Five gave when she was massaging the sunscreen into his skin was bad, it increased tenfold when she moved on to his face. The moment the cream made contact with his cheeks, he started to kick at Allison in an attempt to get her to let go.

“Jesus, Five, you’re worse than Claire with this stuff, and she’s four!” Allison said, finally releasing Five. Five huffed and jumped away, crossing his arms.

“Last one to the water is a rotten egg!” Klaus shouted, taking off to the ocean. Five smirked and took off running for a few steps before jumping so he was ankle-deep in the water. Klaus groaned when he saw Five standing there, his shoulders slumping.

“That’s cheating!” He called, but there was a laugh in his voice as he joined Five in the water, promptly shoving him underwater. Five came up chuckling, brushing wet bangs out of his eyes, while the rest of the siblings slowly joined them.


	2. Persephone

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Five reflects on his time in the commission. More specifically, on his time with the Handler.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I meant to post this at like 8 o'clock but here it is, after midnight. So I'm just gonna post two chapters now.
> 
> Also, while this little headcanon is not applicable to this drabble, it will come into play in future chapters: Five and Hazel are friends and Hazel and Agnes are like a sweet aunt and uncle to him. I will accept nothing less thank you.

When the children were nine, they learned about ancient myths and Gods and Goddesses of various societies. Five had taken an interest in Persephone, and while Klaus had always teasingly suggested Five wanted to be the wife of a king and only have to spend 6 months of the year with him, that wasn't quite the reason.

Five just couldn't understand why anyone would willingly sacrifice what was, by all means, a very good life as the goddess of spring, and go live in the underworld. It was a complete mystery to him.

But, he supposed, in a way, the handler was a version of persephone. She had turned tides, perhaps not of seasons, but of events. She was manipulative and her voice was as smooth as honey to lure in her victims.

And oh, how Five had been such a willing victim. He was been lured in by the promise of human companionship for the first time in 43 years, and by God did he crave it more than anything.

The Handler had hurt him over and over again, her voice always disguised as sweet and gentle when in reality it was anything but. She had stripped away what little humanity he had left and turned him into a killing machine.

Yes, the Handler was Persephone; she was Persephone if the Goddess had decided that she liked the underworld, liked the evil and death that it radiated. If she had stayed all year long.

-

"Five? Five, buddy, can you hear me?" Five was knocked out of his thoughts by a gentle, but firm hand on his knee. When he looked up, he was shocked when something dropped onto his shirt. When had he started crying? "Five, it's me, Vanya. Can you blink once if you can hear me?"

Five slowly blinked once, his vision coming into focus just enough to make out his sister's silhouette.

"Thank God, you weren't responding to me.. Is everything okay?" Vanya asked quietly. Which, in retrospect, was a dumb question; how would anything be okay if her brother was sitting behind the couch and crying while curled up in a fetal position?

Five choked on a sob and shook his head lightly. Vanya nodded and settled down in front of him, a reassuring and non-judgmental presence in the turmoil of his mind.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Vanya asked, though she made it clear that it was okay if Five didn't want to talk.

"Just… thinking about the Handler." Five said quietly. Vanya stayed silent, but she did open her arms to offer a hug. Again, she made it clear that Five didn't have to accept.

Except Five desperately wanted a hug. He shuffled so he was leaning against Vanya, settled in her arms. Vanya smiled fondly at him and rubbed his back, never saying anything but rather waiting for Five to say something if he wanted to.

"She lured me in… I was just a toy to her. She promised me contact with other humans and I'd gone so long without it that I fell for it hook, line, and sinker. She promised me food and water and an actual bed to sleep in, all for the price of a few lives." Five explained.

"I want you to know that none of that defines you. What you did was wrong, true, but you know it was and you're trying to be better. You can't blame yourself for someone else's manipulation of you." Vanya said quietly. "She took advantage of your situation and desperation and that was wrong." She said.

"Take your own advice sometimes." Five said with a small smile. "But thank you." He added, and he truly did mean it even if it didn't sound that way.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Vanya asked.

"You can't blame yourself because Harold Jenkins manipulated you. He played into your loneliness, your desire for someone to see you for you rather than for who your siblings are. You can't be held at fault." Five said. Vanya smiled and ruffled Five's hair affectionately.

"Alright. Neither of us can blame ourselves because someone else manipulated us, deal? Now, I'll make you some peanut butter and marshmallow sandwiches and we'll watch some shitty reality TV until we need to bleach our eyes out, how does that sound?" Vanya asked, standing up and helping her brother to his feet, guiding him out from behind the couch.

"With extra marshmallow?" Five clarified.

"With extra marshmallow." Vanya confirmed, walking with her brother to the kitchen to do just that.


	3. Even Old New York Was Once New Amsterdam

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Five adjusts to the changes that have occurred in the seventeen years he was gone.

A lot had changed in the seventeen years Five was gone.

The old supermarket had closed down and was now a nail salon. A damn good one, too, if Klaus was to be believed.

There were new restaurants everywhere he looked. None of which would ever hold a candle to the Italian place Five remembered. Which was no longer there, as he discovered.

The farmer's market Grace sometimes took the children to on Sunday afternoons to do the shopping was no longer filled with the same friendly sellers who would slip the children little treats like slices of fresh-made cheese or meat or the occasional cookie. He recognized a few faces, aged quite a bit but with the same soft, friendly features that he remembered. It had also grown by leaps and bounds, no longer a small operation that produced wonderful, juicy fruits and ripe vegetables and the best cuts of meat possible, but it also sold spices, honeys, fresh, homemade condiments, and handmade jewelry, among many other things.

The sellers were all very friendly and nice and all, but it was still a lot for Five to get used to.

But he supposed seventeen years would do a lot to a town, no matter what.

-

"Five, you've been quiet all day, is everything alright?" Allison asked one afternoon. Five had been sitting on the sofa for the better part of three hours without moving, mulling over all the changes.

"Yeah, yeah I'm okay. It's just…. So much has changed since I left, hasn't it?" Five answered. Allison shrugged and nodded.

"Yeah, but nothing was going to stay the same, surely you knew that?" She suggested.

"Of course I knew that! In theory, it seemed simple, but in practice, it's just so hard to get used to." Five admitted.

"Oh… Five, I know everything is probably so overwhelming for you right now, but I promise it'll get better. It's still the same city we grew up in, but it's just grown." Allison said.

"I know. I know it's the same city but it doesn't feel like it." Five explained. Allison nodded and took a seat next to Five, a gently hand on his shoulder.

"I know it'll be hard for you to adjust, but everything will get better." Allison said quietly. "Don't forget that we're here if you need anything. And I mean anything, no matter what time of day it is. Hell, we wouldn't give a shit if you woke one of us up at two in the morning, just as long as we can help you when you need it." 

"Thank you. I'll… keep that in mind." Five said, giving a small smile to his sister. Allison patted his shoulder a few time before standing up.

"Now, how about a trip to Griddy's? You get that coffee you like and we'll get some donuts." Allison suggested. "On me."

Five nodded and got up, walking leisurely with Allison the short distance to the beloved donut shop. Agnes and Hazel had reopened the business after some travelling, and Five found that he was actually happy to see the familiar man.

The pair of siblings walked out with a box of a dozen donuts and an extra large black coffee for Five.

And if Five came to her at three fifteen the next morning, too overwhelmed with how much everything had changed, no one cared as they watched some of the movies Allison starred in until morning.


	4. Tarot Cards

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After the siblings prevented the apocalypse, Klaus became a medium.

After stopping the apocalypse, Klaus became a medium.

It was a small place downtown that did psychic readings, and they were more than happy to have Klaus on their team as a medium.

Perhaps it wasn't telling the future, but being able to talk to deceased loved ones was just as helpful to their clients. Plus, it helped Klaus develop his skills in summoning specific ghosts. 

There were three other people in the shop, all psychics: Marissa, Blake, and Anna. Marissa was in her mid twenties, and the sweetest woman Klaus thought he had ever met if he didn't count Grace. She was the one who made sure everyone took a lunch break and smaller breaks, insisting that no one overwork themselves.

Blake was older, perhaps forty-five or so, and was a rougher man but no less kind. He took Klaus under his wing as if he were his own son, congratulating him for milestones in his journey to sobriety. He was the one who walked home with Klaus when the medium felt he needed someone to make sure he wouldn't stray from his path to go buy drugs. 

Anna was an older lady, 60 or so, and was what Klaus supposed stereotypical psychics were like. She was mysterious to everyone, even her coworkers. She didn't much care about Klaus being a Hargreeves and what exactly came with that. In fact, none of his coworkers much cared about that fact.

Klaus had bad days sometimes, but he still tried to work. His coworkers could tell, however, when he was having a bad day from the moment he walked in. They would insist that he lay down on the couch in the small break room they had in the back and rest for the day, and would put up a sign that said medium services were unavailable that day.

During her breaks and lunch, Marissa would teach him how to read tarot cards. She taught him spreads and what each card could mean. Once Klaus started getting the hang of it, he would practice readings with her during her breaks. He was amateur at best, but he found it a fun skill to have.

In return, Klaus would tell her stories of the umbrella academy. Sometimes, it was while he was practicing interpreting cards, and sometimes it was just when they were relaxing over coffee before the day began. Either way, she listened with rapt attention, sometimes frowning when he told of upsetting tales, and laughing when he told funny ones.

"So there we were, sitting around the lunch table, and suddenly Luther just breaks it in half! He didn't mean to, of course, he just put his fork down to strongly." Klaus said, chuckling. "Hey Anna! Did you know I have my dead brother following me around all the time?" He said when the other lady walked in.

"Yes, you've told me many times, Klaus. You even made him solid for us last week, remember?" Anna said with a fond smile.

"Oh, yeah! I forgot about that." Klaus said with a chuckle. "Anyway, he's sarcastic as fuck. A little rude too, but being dead and having no one but other dead people and your junkie brother to talk to will do that to you." Klaus said with a smile. 

"Hey, don't talk down to yourself like that! You've been sober for two months now, that's a big deal!" Marissa said. "You aren't just a junkie anymore. You're Klaus, our medium and friend!" She said, handing him a tarot card. "Now, interpret this." She said.

Klaus immediately launched into his interpretation, looking like a puppy who was so, so eager to please.

"That's a pretty good interpretation. Now, interpret it if it was upside-down." Marissa said, flipping the card over.

It was the end of the day, and they were all winding down to prepare to go home. Once Klaus had finished his interpretation, he got up and went to seek out Blake, who was cleaning up the front room quietly.

"Hey, uh… hate to ask you for the third time this week, but do you mind walking home with me?" Klaus asked. Blake looked over and smiled softly.

"You know I don't mind doing that, son. Don't need you breaking your sober streak." Blake said. "Just give me a few minutes to finish cleaning and grab my stuff and we can head out."

"Of course! I'm not in a hurry, take your time." Klaus said. "Thank you." He added quietly. He waited patiently until Blake retrieved him to walk home. Klaus bid goodbye to the two ladies and started off down the street with his friend.

"So, Klaus, you have any plans when you get home?" Blake asked as they strolled down the sidewalk.

"Not really. Stop my thirteen year old brother from drinking himself stupid on my dear old daddy's fine tequila, but other than that, no." Klaus said.

"Your… thirteen year old brother? Drinking?" Blake clarified. "I thought all the Hargreeves were the same age."

"Oh, we are! Well, all of us except Five. He time travelled when we were thirteen, got stuck, and came back now in his thirteen year old body when he's actually fifty-eight." Klaus said. "He's also an alcoholic, but we're working on it."

"Hmm. Well, I hope he gets better." Blake said genuinely. "Does he go to school at all?"

"Nope. We get around it by saying he's homeschooled, because we all were when we were kids. Really, he studies quantum physics so I see no reason to put him in middle school." Klaus said. Blake nodded and smiled lightly.

"Yeah, doesn't seem like he'll gave a good time with that." He said with a slight laugh.

"No. He can mentally destroy us, imagine what he'd do to a bunch of actual thirteen year olds!" Klaus laughed happily and skipped along.

"What about your other siblings, they doing okay?" Blake asked.

"Oh, they're doing fine. Emotionally constipated and with no communication abilities, but fine." Klaus said. "How is your sister?"

"Oh, she's doing fine. Still doesn't approve of the whole psychic thing, but I don't really care." Blake answered. "Welp, here we are. Have a nice night, Klaus, I'll see you tomorrow." Blake said.

"You too! See you tomorrow!" Klaus said brightly, going inside.

"A package arrived for you today." Vanya said, handing Klaus a small box. Klaus squealed and tore the tape off, opening the box.

Within was a new set of tarot cards. Perhaps he'd never do professional readings, but maybe he could rope his siblings into it.


	5. Dallas

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Luther discovers football.

Luther discovered football.

It started as a mild interest at first when the siblings got a TV and connected cable to it. It was watching ESPN to pass the time and occasionally telling his siblings about football highlights.

None of his siblings thought it was an issue; after all, it kept Luther from sulking over the moon all day, and it made Luther happy enough.

And then it started to become a borderline obsession. It was all Luther spoke about, almost like the moon all over again.

He took a particular interest in the Dallas Cowboys. Why that particular team, no one knew, but Luther followed especially closely to their news, always ready to report when a player got injured or taken out of the game. Most of the time, no one knew who the players were, but that didn't seem to bother Luther at all. 

But it was okay. Because Luther was happy, and that made his siblings happy. Although Luther had done some awful, unforgivable things, he was moving on from that, trying to mend his relationship with his siblings. He wasn't upset over the moon quite as much anymore, but when he was he always had a listening ear in his siblings.

"Vanya, can you grab the milk from the fridge, please?" Luther asked, standing over a simmering pan of sauce. Vanya nodded and reached over to the fridge, handing the milk to her brother.

"Has anything happened with the Cowboys today?" She asked, and she was genuinely curious. She had come to enjoy listening to her brother go on about his newfound activity.

"Nothing, really. Season's over now, so I doubt there'll be anything until August." Luther said, pouring the milk into the pan and whisking it in.

"That's too bad." Vanya answered. "Pass the fettuccine please?" She asked. Luther reached to the left and passed the box of noodles to his sister.

As Vanya added the pasta to the boiling water, she thought that Luther being into sports might be a good thing. He always had been the most athletic of the bunch.

"Hey, you wanna go to the park tomorrow? We can… throw around a ball or something." Vanya suggested. Luther smiled at Vanya, and by God Vanya had missed his genuine smiles.

"I'd love that, Vanya." Luther answered, and they went back to friendly silence. There may always be a bit of tension between them, but they were mending their relationship bit by bit.

"Does 3 work for you? I have rehearsal until 1:30, and then I'd have to go change into something more appropriate for a park." Vanya said.

"Yeah, three works for me." Luther answered. "I found some old baseballs when I was going through storage, we could use those."

-

The next day, they did just that. It took a few tries for Luther to figure out the right amount of force to put behind his throws, and he always looked guilty when he threw it too hard. Vanya just smiled reassuringly, reminding him that he was okay and that he just needed to lower the force, that was all.

Luther hadn't been happier in a while, because the fresh air was nice and he had worked up the courage to wear a short sleeved shirt outside to beat the heat.

When they got home, Luther did find news on the Cowboys that he reported to his siblings over dinner. And they just smiled and answered as best they could while knowing negative amounts about the topic.


	6. Lilo and Stitch

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The siblings have a movie night.

After the apocalypse, Thursday nights were officially declared movie nights.

The siblings always watched Disney movies because, as Klaus said, they had been tragically deprived of it all their lives.

Movie nights began at seven o'clock, just after the dinner dishes were washed. Everyone would work together to build a blanket fort big enough to support all seven of them. Then, Diego would make popcorn for everyone, bringing it back in three large bowls to be distributed throughout the fort. And then the movie would begin.

That night, they were watching Lilo and Stitch, and beginning scene of which was playing when everyone settled down into a cuddle pile. Cuddle piles were simple enough; usually, Five would be at or near the center because he was just so touch starved and everyone wanted to give him all the hugs he wanted. Luther was usually the base because he was warm and large and easy for the other six to crowd around.

Tonight, Five was laying on top of Luther, while the other six crowded as close as they could get around Luther, borderline on top of him as well. Not that Luther couldn't take it if they were all on top of him, but Five was monopolizing the space. 

They settled down to watch the movie, instantly falling in love. They were all rather infatuated with Stitch, moreso with Lilo.

Five laughed at the fact that Lilo initially thought Stitch was just a weird dog. Allison noted out loud that Claire was a similar age, and it was accurate thinking for a child.

Klaus was the first to fall asleep, just like every other movie night. As of late, he had managed to summon Ben even in his sleep, so Ben remained curled up in the cuddle pile.

After that, Vanya was the next one to drop off about fifteen minutes later. One by one, each sibling fell asleep, leaving only Five and Ben awake at the end of Lilo and Stitch 2. Ben smirked and held up two sharpies, and Five grinned and silently took one.

Perhaps doodling scenes from Lilo and Stitch was an odd choice, but these behaviors would have gotten them severe punishments as children, and they were still easing into the fact that no punishment would befall them.

Been doodled Stitch on Klaus' cheek, the drawing crude but recognizable. He then labelled the drawing 'me following you around for the last 12 years.' That made Five giggle from where he was drawing both characters on Luther's forehead, the detail as meticulous as he could get them with a sharpie.

Five had a wide grin on his face that made Ben soften. He knew it was Five's first chance to really be a kid, and he desperately wanted his brother to take advantage of that and play pranks and rebel and have fun, all things that Reginald would have punished them for.

"Draw Stitch on Allison's arm. Make it look like a tattoo." Ben said. Five nodded dutifully and reached over, doodling a picture of stitch on Allison's forearm. He made the detail as specific as possible, but got tired after a fair bit of drawing and shading.

Ben covered Five with a blanket, laying the tired boy down on top of Luther. It wasn't long before both brothers fell asleep.

-

"OKAY, WHO LEFT A PICTURE OF STITCH ON MY ARM?! I HAVE AN AUDITION TODAY!" Allison shouted the next morning when she looked in the mirror.

"Sharpie is washable. Lots of soap and scrubbing." Five advised.

"Was it you?" Allison questioned. Five smirked proudly.

"Perhaps." He answered, and Allison softened. Five was just playing a prank and honestly? It wasn't a bad one. He could have done a lot worse and they both knew it.

"Oh, alright. I'll go wash this off." Allison said, heading into the bathroom. From downstairs, Ben could be heard cackling.


	7. Beauty Lays Behind The Hills

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Reginald had left the siblings' self-confidence at below rock bottom.
> 
> They take the first steps to overcome that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Mentions of eating disorders in this chapter. Very mild and not mentioned for very long, but please heed this warning if it is something you are sensitive about.

When they were kids, they were ruthlessly judged for their looks. Not by the public, but by their own father.

Every little pimple or acne breakout was covered by layers of concealer. They were put on strict diets to regulate their weight.

It left scars in their self esteem, no doubt about that.

Five cried for an hour when he broke out, because he didn't want the disgusting-feeling concealer but he knew it looked awful.

Klaus ate like a bird until his siblings caught on and made him eat more, reminding him that he no longer had to live by Reginald's standards.

Luther spent nights crying over his new body, hating it with every ounce of himself.

Ben cried over all the scars he got from summoning the horror, things which would never fade.

Diego was extremely insecure over his stuttering, and tried to reign it in as much as he could. He often spent nights crying over his stutter.

Allison always felt pressure to be perfect in form, setting herself to strict diets in order to have the right body for a role.

Vanya cried over everything about her, because she just didn't know what was wrong but nothing ever seemed to be right.

-

When he looked in the mirror one morning, Five's shriek could perhaps be heard throughout the city. Instantly, his siblings came rushing up to find out what prompted such a reaction from their brother.

"Five, what's wrong?" Luther asked, kneeling down in front of their brother, who had curled up on the floor and started to cry. Five glanced up, choking on a sob, and his siblings could automatically see what was wrong: a breakout of zits, mild but still present.

"No! I don't want concealer please!" Five pleaded desperately.

"Hey, hey, no one's gonna put concealer on you if you don't want them to." Klaus reassured. "I think we need to talk about this. Living room." He said, in a tone that booked no argument, which was surprising for Klaus.

-

When the siblings were gathered in the living room, Klaus smiled sadly.

"Okay, I'm gonna address the elephant in the room. Dad controlled our appearance and that put our self esteem lower than rock bottom. Like, or self esteem hit rock bottom, grabbed a pickaxe and started digging." Klaus said. "So, I suggest we go around in a circle and tell everyone about what we're insecure about so we can all have a big cry session and learn to love ourselves. I'll start: dad fucked me up so bad I used to make myself puke after meals so I wouldn't gain weight. Now I just eat as little as I can." Klaus said.

"You don't have to do that, Klaus. You're skin and bones as it is." Allison said, pulling her brother into a hug. Klaus wrapped his arms around his sister and laid his head on her shoulder. "I guess I'll go next. I eat on super strict diets so I can have the perfect body for roles." She admitted.

"Oh, Allison. You're perfect just the way you are. And if some dumbass directors tell you you need to lose weight for a role, fuck them." Klaus said, and his siblings nodded in agreement, murmuring similar reassurances.

"I'll go next, I guess? I fucking hate my stutter so much. Dad made me think I was bad for having it. It makes me feel useless when I can't even get my words out right." Diego admitted. Vanya pulled him into a hug and smiled sadly.

"You're still amazing even with your stutter. It just makes you who you are, and you don't need to be ashamed of it." Vanya said. Diego nodded, giving a small smile. "I'm next. I never knew what was good enough for dad, so I did whatever I could. I tried to lose weight and I tried to act more mature but nothing was ever good enough." She admitted. Diego hugged her tightly, a firm presence.

"You never needed to prove shit to that bastard." He said simply.

"Um… I'll go next, I guess. I hate this new body so much. It makes me feel like a monster." Luther said. Klaus pulled him into the small hug piles.

"You're not a monster, big guy. You're our brother and we love you no matter what body you're in." Klaus said gently. Luther nodded and smiled.

"I hate this. Everything that comes with puberty: acne, voice cracks, everything!" Five said. "I already experienced it once. I don't wanna go through it again."

"Well, I can give you some of my God-tier face wash, but I don't know how to prevent anything else." Allison suggested. "Just remember that we love you, alright? No matter how you look. Or talk. Or anything." She added, pulling him into a hug.

"And think of it this way, Five: you experienced puberty all alone in the apocalypse, but now you have us to help you. Puberty sucks, let alone going through it in an apocalypse." Vanya said quietly, and Five smiled and nodded in agreement.

"I'm… last I guess. I have scars all over my body from summoning the horror. It sucks and I feel bad about it." Ben admitted quietly, and he too was brought into the hug pile.

"Your scars do not define you, but they are a part of you. You're perfect just the way you are, Benny." Klaus said brightly.

Their dad had dropped their self esteem to the core of the Earth, but together, they thought they might just be able to bring it back up again.


	8. Pre-Ripped Jeans

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Klaus and Five go shopping.

Five had absolutely nothing to wear besides his uniforms.

Which a problem, given that whenever he went out with his siblings, it looked just a little bit like he was either kidnapped or just escaped boarding school. A few times, people have tried to help him, convinced he was being kidnapped.

That had not gone over well.

Which is what led them to an Old Navy at 2PM on a Wednesday. Klaus had claimed it'd probably have some clothes that Five would like, nothing too loud or casual, but prim and proper the way Five liked. 

"Maybe these? Be a little adventurous?" Klaus suggested, holding out a pair of distressed jeans in Five's size.

"Absolutely not." Five said immediately, looking quite unamused. He was holding three pairs of slacks in his size, two black and one khaki in color. "Now, polos or button-downs… " he mused to himself, looking through the selection of clothes.

"Can I help you today?" One of the salespeople asked, far too peppy for Five's taste. "Shopping for a special occasion?"

"No, he's just a grumpy old man in the body of a teenager." Klaus answered easily. The salesperson laughed, assuming it was joke. Both Five and Klaus knew it was not.

-

"Come on! I think you'd look snazzy in this pair of jeans and a sweater. Just try it on, please?" Klaus asked, once again brandishing the distressed jeans. Five sighed in defeat and grabbed the jeans and a maroon sweater, going into the dressing room.

To his absolute horror, the Jean's were not also distressed, but skinny. And oh, how he hated tight clothing of any kind, why did Klaus choose this for him?

"Yeah, there we go! You look like a million bucks!" Klaus said when Five exited again.

"Yes, but I don't so much enjoy the way this feels. Are you happy now, can I go back to my other clothes?" Five asked. 

"Yeah, sure." Klaus said, but Five could tell he was just joking about being disappointed. He'd never intended to have Five actually buy the outfit because Five would most definitely be uncomfortable in it. If there was anything Klaus hated, it was his siblings being uncomfortable.

Five smiled and grabbed a few more clothing items before meeting Klaus. Klaus was, not super surprisingly, in the women's section, looking through skirts.

"What do you think, bro? Yellow or magenta?" Klaus asked, holding up the two skirts he was debating between.

"Yellow. You have more shirts that'll match it." Five answered easily. He never had minded Klaus' desire to wear dresses or skirts or heels or whatever else took his fancy. As long as Klaus was happy.

"Thanks!" Klaus said, putting the magenta skirt back. He had his own pile of clothes he was intending to purchase, including a pair of distressed skinny jeans. The two made their way to the checkout, the cashier having a similar bubbly attitude as the salesperson.

They checked out using Reginald's money, left to Luther, mostly, but he didn't care if they used it. As Luther had stated, he had no use for such a sum of money.

-

Five snuck into Klaus' bedroom a few days later while said brother was out getting groceries with Vanya. Five knew Vanya might be regretting her decision to bring him along, as Klaus could get rather rambunctious. 

He took the distressed jeans his brother had purchased on their trip to the store, trying them on. They were a bit looser on him, and he had to roll up the bottom more than a few times, but they were actually rather comfortable now.

Maybe he wouldn't wear them all the time, but maybe once or twice. After all, he did look like a million bucks in them if he did say so himself.


	9. Dollhouse

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Reginald had treated the children like dolls.
> 
> Grace is trying to slowly reverse the effect this had on her kids.

Reginald had only been playing a real-life dollhouse with the kids.

Grace was, in the weeks following the apocalypse, trying to fix the damage it left on the children.

She baked cookies for them all every two days because two dozen cookies went by quick between the seven children. She made a different child's favorite dish for lunch or dinner every day, and she always made sure they were comfortable.

"Klaus, I'm so proud of you! One month clean!" She said on what was indeed the one-month anniversary of Klaus being clean. Klaus smiled shyly, shrugging.

"Thanks, mom." He said. He didn't know how to react to compliments and praise, given he'd hardly ever received it as a kid. Grace was trying to fix that.

"How about we go down to Griddy's to celebrate? I heard they have a new peanut butter and chocolate donut." Grace said. Klaus nodded enthusiastically and walked with Grace to the beloved donut shop.

Like every other morning, Hazel and Agnes were working. Hazel, according to Five, never had enjoyed working for the commission, so he settled down with Agnes. He was friendly with the customers, certainly, and seemed like a nice enough man. Grace supposed he had to be, Five always spoke of him like they were old pals that went way back.

Grace didn't order anything given that she didn't need to eat, but Klaus ordered a donut and a milkshake for himself. They sat together in a window booth, Grace smiling as she listened to Klaus talk on about his job as a medium.

"I'm proud that you're using your powers to help people, Klaus." Grace said. Again, Klaus got shy and hesitant but no less grateful for the praise.

-

Reginald had played dollhouse with them all. It left one of them feeling second-best all her life.

Grace had tried as hard as she could to be a loving, attentive mother to Vanya just as much as the other children. But, Reginald had ordered that she pay special attention to the other six children, and she couldn't do anything besides what Reginald told her to.

"That sounds beautiful, Vanya. No wonder you got first chair in your orchestra." Grace complimented, having heard her daughter's violin when she entered her room. "I'm just dropping off some laundry for you." She said, setting the laundry basket down at the foot of the bed.

"Thank you, mom. You didn't have to do that, you know." Vanya said.

"Oh, I know. But it's the least I can do to help you, sweetie." Grace said with a smile. She pulled Vanya into a hug, rubbing her back. "Powers or not, you're extremely special to me. You're my daughter."

Vanya stayed silent, though she did lay her head on Grace's shoulder and hugged her back. She smiled softly, closing her eyes in relaxation.

"I should probably leave you to your practicing now. I'll have lunch ready in about an hour, do come down and eat. You and your siblings miss far too many meals, busy as you are." Grace said.

"I will, mom, thank you." Vanya said, going back to her practicing.

Grace lingered in the doorway for a minute or two, just listening to her daughter play. She had always enjoyed listening to Vanya's music, she had always been so talented at it.

-  
"Good morning, sweetie." Grace greeted when she saw Luther come down for breakfast.

"Good morning, mom." Luther greeted quietly. Like every other day, the man was wearing a thick, long sleeved shirt and long pants to cover his new body.

"Sweetie, its gonna be hot outside. Why don't you change into something a bit lighter?" Grace suggested kindly.

"Oh, um… I'm good, thanks." Luther said, tucking in on himself the slightest bit.

"Luther, you don't need to cover up. Ignore everyone who stares or make fun of you, you're amazing and handsome just the way you are." Grace said. Luther shrugged bashfully.

"Thanks, mom. But I think I'm gonna stick with this today." Luther said. Grace smiled and patted Luther's arm lovingly.

"Alright, sweetie. But you needn't be ashamed of your appearance." She reminded.

And Luther kept those words in mind. The next day, he took the first steps and wore three-quarter sleeves to the store.

-

Yes, Reginald had made them dolls, puppets he could control at his will. But Grace was determined to make her children know that they are not who Reginald dictated they were. They were individuals, all with their own struggles and successes. Successes Grace would always be happy to celebrate, because her kids were doing amazing. Some were recovering or adjusting, but they were still amazing children.

Her children. Not dolls, not puppets, not toys. Her children.

And she would always protect her children, no matter if they were thirteen or thirty.


	10. Security Camera

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The siblings destroy the security cameras.

"We should destroy the security cameras." Klaus suggested one afternoon in May.

"Why?" Five asked almost immediately after the words left his brother's mouth, a look of confusion of his face.

"I mean, think about it; we were subjected to 24/7 surveillance all out lives until we left. We never had privacy or time to ourselves. Not even in the bathroom! I found one of those fuckers in there too!" Klaus said. "If we wanna get past the trauma of our childhoods, we should at least give ourselves a sense of privacy, should we not?"

"That… actually makes a lot of sense. I don't see why we shouldn't do it." Diego said.

"I… guess we can do that." Luther said slowly, clearly hesitant. It made sense; he'd never known anything outside of the academy, never known anything outside of being constantly watched until he was up on the moon.

"Are we agreed?" Klaus asked, clapping his hands together in what he probably thought was an official gesture. His siblings murmured their agreement, grins on their faces that betrayed just how excited they were to be getting rid of another one of Reginald's methods of controlling them. 

-

The next day saw all of the siblings arms with their weapons of choice to destroy the security cameras: Luther was using his own strength, Diego had knives, Allison, Five, and Vanya had sledgehammers, while Klaus and Ben had baseball bats.

"Why not go out with a bang?" Klaus had said with a shrug when he saw the various types of weapons. "Alright, go handle your own rooms first. Then do whatever you want to do most."

And off they ran.

-

Five immediately jumped into his room, attacking the two security cameras mounted with such ferocity that he probably left a small hole in the wall. He figured fuck it, no reason not to. Reginald had put them all through hell.

Satisfied with the destroyed state of the cameras, he moved on to the dining room. The dining room had six cameras, all of which he smashed to smithereens. There was pieces of metal all over the floor but he didn't care. For the first time in a long time, he felt free. He didn't feel like he was being held back for any reason.

-

Klaus moved into his room, laughing as be smashed in the security cameras. It made him feel in control to do such a thing, a final "fuck you" do their dear old dad. Destroying the cameras was quite possibly the most mild form of payback for locking him in the mausoleum as a child, in Klaus' opinion.

From there, he moved on the spiral staircase they would race up as children. It was disgusting, the way Reginald pitted them against each other from the time they could walk and climb stairs. He started the exercise when they were barely able to climb stairs at all, let alone race their siblings. He didn't give a shit if any of the kids fell and hurt themselves. He never did.

-

Luther crushed the security cameras in his room into small discs, a sort of anger welling up in his. Reginald had lied to him, for most of his life it seemed, and Luther had blindly followed him. He'd followed because he was convinced Reginald could do no wrong.

After that, he moved on to the gym. A fully-stocked gym was nice and all, but it felt weird being watched while you were just trying to work out. Reginald had pushed the children to their absolute limits in that room. Luther vividly recalled the time Diego had actually puked because he was so over exerted and overtired, not allowed a break even when he said he felt like he was going to pass out. Luther thought they were 8 at the time, perhaps nine. But the age didn't matter, it was the fact that Reginald thought it was okay to do it at all.

-

Allison destroyed her security camera quickly and sufficiently. It didn't take long.

From there, she moved on to all of the bathrooms, destroying the cameras one by one. She shuddered to think of the idea of her father watching her and her siblings as they showered or got ready in the morning. She really hoped, for her own sake, that he never did, and it was just a precaution. If she ever found out he did watch them, she was sure to have Klaus summon the old asshole so she could beat him up once and for all.

-

Ben destroyed his cameras with a startling rage for someone usually so non-confrontational. Metal littered the floor but he didn't care. It didn't hurt him anyway.

From there, he moved onto the room where his personal training was held. Just stepping into the room made him feel nauseous, awful memories surfacing of summoning the horror until he collapsed in a puddle of his own blood. If he looked closely, he could still see faded blood stains on the floor and walls from where nannies and Grace never could get own the stains no matter how hard they tried.

-

Diego stabbed the security cameras in his room like he was hacking open a raw chicken. Wires were scattered all over his bedroom but he didn't care.

From there, he went to the target range where his personal training was held. He remembered the day Reginald had brought in a live target for him to take down. It was just a common goose, but Diego still cried to Grace for three hours after he had killed it. Who could blame him? He was 10 at the oldest at the time, and the only thing he ever wanted to fight were his annoying brothers, particularly Luther. But Reginald wasn't here to inflict this odd form of torture on him anymore. He and his siblings would never have to suffer at his hands again.

-

Vanya took out the security cameras in her room, trying to keep a hold on her emotions. She knew when her emotions were out of control, so were her powers, no matter how far she's come in her training. It wasn't the type of training Reginald would have put her through. No, instead, her siblings were gentle with her, no matter if they got injured because she momentarily lost control. They let her take breaks and always told her how well she was doing in such a short time.

She moved on to the torture chamber she had lived in for a while as a child. Was there any other word for it?

Panic crawled up her throat when she opened the door. She pushed several chairs to keep the door from closing on her, yet she still made sure to make quick work of the security cameras. If she got locked in, there was no telling how long her family would take to find her given that the room was sound-proof.

-

And on and on it went.

Each siblings destroyed the security cameras all around the academy.

Afterwards, they all curled up in a pile on the living room floor. If some of them had tears drying on their cheeks, nobody pointed it out, just held them tighter.

They had all been through hell as children, but perhaps this was a step in overcoming that.


End file.
